Operating mechanism for shaker-grates.



R. C. WHITE.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SHAKER GRATES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 31. l9l5.

Patented June 0, 1917.

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R. (1. WHITE.

OPERATlNG MECHANISM FOR SHAKER GRATES.

APPLICATlON FILED OCT-31.1916.

1,@28,626 Patented June 5, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. C. WHITE.

OPERATING MECHANISM FOR SHAKER GRATES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT-31,1916

1,Q 8,626, I Patentedfiune 5,1917.

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OPERATING MECHANISM FOR. SHAKER-GBATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 5, 1917.

Application filed October 31, 1916. Serial No. 128,751.

. To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ROBERT C. l'vinrn, a citizen of the'United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Shaken Grates, of which the following is a specifi-- cation.

My invention relates to an improvement in operating mechanism for shaker grates.

The chief objects of my invention are to provide a simple and effective shaker mechanism which will lock the grate bars in horizontal position; which is adjustable to level the grate bars; which will prevent the grate bars being rocked sufiiciently to dump the fire unless a stop means is moved to permit the full dumping movement of the operating mechanism; and which provides means whereby the engineer can lock and prevent the dumping of the grates by the firemen without his knowledge and consent. These general objects are attained by the mechanism hereinafter described in its preferred embodiment only, the details of which also form part of my present invention.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 illustrates my shaker mechanism in front elevation. h

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View through a portion of the furnace showing the shaker mechanism in side. elevation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are enlarged views in elevation and plan of the mechanism at the head of the shaker shaft.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

I have shown my invention as adapted for shaking the rocking grate bars 1 which are journaled in the frame 2 and have de pending therefrom rocker arms 3 which have their free ends pivoted to a common connecting bar it, which in turn is connected by the shaker arm to a crank 6 keyed to the lower end of the shaker shaft 7. The shaker arm 5 passes through a suitable hole 8 in the front wall 9 of the furnace and is free therein to follow the rocking and dumping movements imparted to it by the crank 6. This crank is mounted to rock with the shaker shaft 7 upon a bearing bracket 10 through which the shaft 7 projects and has a collar 11 secured by a set screw on its lower end. The intermediate portion of the shaft 7 is reduced but its upper end 12 is enlarged like its lower end and has formed integrally thereon or rigidly secured thereto a head 13 which is horizontally dis-- posed and is bifurcated to form a yoke 1 This head is mounted to turn on a top bracket 15 which has a flange 16 that is bolted to the wall 9 and has its outer end provided with a transverse notch 17 which is substantially wider than the notch in the overlying yoke 14. I provide recesses 18 extending from the notch 17 on each side to points adjacent to the side wall of the bracket, thus forn'iing a countersunk seat for the reception of side flanges 19 of an adjustable yoke 20, which is similar in size to the yoke 14 and disposed under and in line with the latter when in its normal or inoperative position. The yoke 20 carries a central dependmg lug 21 whlch 1s d1sposed between depending side lugs 22, one of whlch is on each slde of the bracket. A

carries a cap nut 28 on its outer end.

The yoke arms 20 are rounded at their outer ends to give the yoke a flaring throat which will serve to guide thereinto the shaker handle 29 which is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 30 to the yoke 1 t.

As seen in Fig. 4, this bolt is disposed nearv the outer. end of the yoke and the lever extends sufficiently beyond the pivot bolt to reach nearly to the crotch of the yoke. The purpose of this is to give the handle an extended bearing engagement in the yoke of the head 13 on the shaker shaft when the handle is swung in horizontal position, which is its position for shaking the grates. The bracket 15 is provided on its left hand side (see Fig. 1) with a raised stop lug 31 which limits the movement of the head 13 to the left, allowing a full play however for the requisite dumping movement in that direction. The lug 31 will leave the head free to swing 90 to the left and thus travel far enough to dump the grates.

grates except when it is especially desired to do so, the head 13 on its right hand side,

Fig. 1-, is provided with a lug 32, which in the normal shakin movements of the head 13, will swing back and forth between the stops 33 and 34V on a pivoted latch 35, this latch being pivotally connected by a bolt 36 to a flange 37 on the right hand rear end of the bracket 15. This latch when thrown up to vertical position, swings the stops out of the path of the lug 32 and leaves the head 13 free to complete its grate dumping movement. In order to prevent the unauthorized dumping of the grates, I provide means to lock the latch in its lower position, my preferred means being the provision on the latch of a downwardly extending arm 38 which normally rests against the flange 16 of the bracket and is adapted to be locked in this position by means of a pin 39 which has a head 40 and is inserted through a perforated lug 11 on this bracket flange 16. A hole is punched through the bolt so as to receive a lock 12 between the, lug 11 and the arm 38, this look and the head 40 preventing the bolt being moved to disengage the latch arm so that it could be raised. When in raised position the arm 38 will stand in the path of the lug 32 as the head is swung back to the right from its full dumping position. By this arrangement the lug 32 strikes and automatically resets the latch 35 so as to limit the movements of the lever to those prescribed for the shaking of the grate without requiring any attention from the operator.

In operation, the handle 29, after each 1 shaking or dumping operation is forced down to vertical position and in doing so it enters the yoke 20 and is thereby received and with the shaker shaft is held in a fixed predetermined position which can be varied by adjusting the yoke 20 to either side by means of the screw 23. These adjustments can be given when it is necessary to level the grates for any reason and when thus held the handle forms a locking connection between the yokes 14 and 20 which hold the grate bars rigidly in position. Assuming the latch 35 is down and locked, when it is desired to shake the grate, the handle 29 is swung upwardly to horizontal position, thereby firmly engaging its end between the yoke arms 1a and clearing it from the yoke 19, whereupon the handle is moved back and forth horizontally, its movements being limited by the stops 33 and 34; When it is desired to dump the grate, the lock pin 39 is withdrawn, the latch 35 is thrown up and the head 13 is then free to move to the left sufiiciently to dump the grates, which will have taken place when the head strikes the lug 31.

The stops 33 and 34 are spaced equidist'antly on each side of the neutral position of the lug 32 and allow the latter to travel only the predetermined distance which will effectively shake the grate bars without permitting obstructions to work between the grate bars and prevent them returning to level or neutral position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a grate shaking appliance, a shaker shaft disposed vertically, operating connections from its lower end to the grate, a shaker handle pivoted to the upper end of the shaker shaft and adapted to swing downwardly to a substantially vertical po sition, and a bracket disposed below the pivotal connection, a yoke slide laterally adjustable on the bracket, and means to adjust the slide, the yoke being in position to have the handle thrust therein for the purpose of locking the shaker grate in predetermined position.

2. In a grate shaking appliance, a shaker grate, a shaker shaft disposed vertically, operating connections from the lower end of said shaft to the shaker grate, a yoke head fast on the upper end of the shaft and having a lateral lug, a pivoted detent movable to engage and limit the movements of the lug, an adjustable yoke mounted under the head, means to move said yoke laterally, and a shaker handle pivoted to the head and adapted to be thrust into said adjustable yoke to lock the grate in predetermined position.

3. In a grate shaking appliance, a shaker grate, a vertical shaker shaft having a yoke head mounted on its upper end, a laterally disposed lug carried by said head, a pivoted detent adapted to swing downwardly into engagement with said lug to limit its oscillatory movements, said detent having a pivotal support, and a projection below said support which, when the detent is raised, is moved into position to be engaged by the lug to reset the detent in operating position.

4. A shaker mechanism for furnace grate bars comprising, in combination, a vertical shaft without the furnace, bearings therefor, a yoke member rigid with the shaft and horizontally movable therewith, a shaker handle pivoted near one end in the yoke and free when not in use to drop down to vertical position, a second yoke disposed in position to receive and lock the handle against lateral movement when it falls to vertical position, a bearing upon which said yoke is laterally movable, and means to adjust and hold said locking yoke in predetermined fixed positions on said bracket, substantially as described.

5. In a grate shaking appliance, a vertical shaker shaft, connections at its lower end to the grate to be operated, bracket bearings for the shaft, the upper of which bearings is provided With a lateral bearing lug and a front yoke, an adjustable yoke overlapping the bracket yoke and having :1 depending lug, screw means coasting With said depending lug and bracket yoke to adjust the adjustable yoke, a yoke head fast on the top of the shaft and having a shaker handle pivoted in its yoke and adapted to be received in said adjustable yoke, and a detent pivoted to the side lug of the bracket and adapted to engage a portion of said head and limit its oscillatory movements, substantially as described.

6. A grate shaking appliance com-prising a vertical shaker shaft having lower operatingconnections to the grate and having at its top a yoke head, a yoke bearing bracket under the head, an adjustable yoke laterally movable on the bracket, a shaker handle pivoted in the yoke head and adapted to be received in the adjustable yoke, means on the yoke bracket to laterally adjust the adjustable yoke, a detent pivoted to the bracket, a lug on the head adapted to be engaged and have its oscillatory movements limited by said detent, said detent being movable to clear the lug and having a bottom portion adapted to be engaged by the lug to restore the detent to operating position, and means to limit the movement of the head away from said detent when the latter is in inoperative position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT C. WHITE. /Vitness:

Nome WELSH.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

